2003 Edition

Administrative divisions

none (overseas department of France)

Age structure

0-14 years: 24.7% (male 55,521; female 53,137) 15-64 years: 66.4% (male 144,764; female 147,449) 65 years and over: 8.9% (male 16,443; female 22,875) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

bananas, sugarcane, tropical fruits and vegetables; cattle, pigs, goats

Airports

9 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 914 to 1,523 m: 2

total

8

under 914 m

5 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1

under 914 m

1 (2002) Military Guadeloupe

Area

land

1,706 sq km

note

Guadeloupe is an archipelago of nine inhabited islands, including Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, Iles des Saintes (2), Saint-Barthelemy, Iles de la Petite Terre, and Saint-Martin (French part of the island of Saint Martin)

total

1,780 sq km

water

74 sq km

Area - comparative

10 times the size of Washington, DC

Background

Guadeloupe has been a French possession since 1635. The island of Saint Martin is shared with the Netherlands; its southern portion is named Sint Maarten and is part of the Netherlands Antilles and its northern portion is named Saint-Martin and is part of Guadeloupe Geography Guadeloupe

Birth rate

16.16 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$390 million, including capital expenditures of $105 million (1996)

revenues

$225 million

Capital

Basse-Terre

Climate

subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity

Coastline

306 km

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Country name

conventional long form

Department of Guadeloupe

conventional short form

Guadeloupe

local long form

Departement de la Guadeloupe

local short form

Guadeloupe

Currency

euro (EUR); French franc (FRF)

Currency code

EUR; FRF

Death rate

6.04 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$NA

Dependency status

overseas department of France

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas department of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas department of France)

Disputes - international

none This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

$NA; note - substantial annual French subsidies

Economy - overview

The Caribbean economy depends on agriculture, tourism, light industry, and services. It also depends on France for large subsidies and imports. Tourism is a key industry, with most tourists from the US; an increasingly large number of cruise ships visit the islands. The traditional sugarcane crop is slowly being replaced by other crops, such as bananas (which now supply about 50% of export earnings), eggplant, and flowers. Other vegetables and root crops are cultivated for local consumption, although Guadeloupe is still dependent on imported food, mainly from France. Light industry features sugar and rum production. Most manufactured goods and fuel are imported. Unemployment is especially high among the young. Hurricanes periodically devastate the economy.

Electricity - consumption

1.074 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

1.155 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Soufriere 1,484 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

NA

Ethnic groups

black or mulatto 90%, white 5%, East Indian, Lebanese, Chinese less than 5%

Exchange rates

euros per US dollar - 1.06 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); French francs per US dollar - 5.8995 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

NA

chief of state

President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by Prefect Dominique VIAN (since 6 August 2002)

election results

NA

elections

French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; the presidents of the General and Regional Councils are elected by the members of those councils

head of government

President of the General Council Jacques GILLOT (since 26 March 2001); President of the Regional Council Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY (since 22 March 1992)

Exports

$140 million f.o.b. (1997)

Exports - commodities

bananas, sugar, rum

Exports - partners

France 60%, Martinique 18%, US 4% (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Guadeloupe

Flag description

the flag of France is used Economy Guadeloupe

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.7 billion (1997 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

15%

industry

17%

services

68% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $9,000 (1997 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Geographic coordinates

16 15 N, 61 35 W

Geography - note

a narrow channel, the Riviere Salee, divides Guadeloupe proper into

two islands

the larger, western Basse-Terre and the smaller, eastern Grande-Terre People Guadeloupe

Government type

NA

Highways

paved

NA km

total

2,467 km

unpaved

NA km (1998)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$1.7 billion c.i.f. (1997)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, fuels, vehicles, clothing and other consumer goods, construction materials

Imports - partners

France 63%, Germany 4%, US 3%, Japan 2%, Netherlands Antilles 2% (1999)

Independence

none (overseas department of France)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

construction, cement, rum, sugar, tourism

Infant mortality rate

female

7.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

10.33 deaths/1,000 live births

total

9.07 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

NA%

International organization participation

FZ, WCL, WFTU

Internet country code

.gp

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (2000)

Internet users

4,000 (2000) Transportation Guadeloupe

Irrigated land

20 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Guadeloupe, French Guiana, and Martinique

Labor force

125,900 (1997)

Labor force - by occupation

NA

Land boundaries

border countries

Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 10.2 km

total

10.2 km

Land use

arable land

10.65%

other

85.21% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

4.14%

Languages

French (official) 99%, Creole patois

Legal system

French legal system

Legislative branch

unicameral General Council or Conseil General (42 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the unicameral Regional Council or Conseil Regional (41 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)

election results

General Council - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - left-wing candidates 11, PS 8, RPR 8, PPDG 6, right-wing candidates 5, PCG 3, UDF 1; Regional Council - percent of vote by party - RPR 48.03%, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 24.49%, PCG 5.29%, diverse right parties 5.73%; seats by party - RPR 25, PS/PPDG/diverse left parties 12, PCG 2, diverse right parties 2

elections

General Council - last held 22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2004); Regional Council - last held 15 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2004)

note

Guadeloupe elects two representatives to the French Senate; elections last held NA September 1995 (next to be held NA September 2004); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 1, FGPS 1; Guadeloupe elects four representatives to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPR 2, PS 1, different right parties 1

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.84 years (2003 est.)

male

74.37 years

total population

77.53 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

90% (1982 est.) Government Guadeloupe

male

90%

total population

90%

Location

Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 NM

territorial sea

12 NM

Median age

female

31.9 years (2002)

male

30.2 years

total

31 years

Merchant marine

convenience

France 1 (2002 est.)

note

includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of

ships by type

passenger 1

total

1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,240 GRT/109 DWT

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France Transnational Issues Guadeloupe

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces; French Forces, Gendarmerie

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Nationality

adjective

Guadeloupe

noun

Guadeloupian(s)

Natural hazards

hurricanes (June to October); Soufriere de Guadeloupe is an active volcano

Natural resources

cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism

Net migration rate

-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

13,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Communist Party of Guadeloupe or PCG [Mona CADOCE]; FGPS [Dominique LARIFLA]; Progressive Democratic Party or PPDG [Henri BANGOU]; Rally for the Republic or RPR (may have become UMP) [Lucette MICHAUX-CHEVRY]; Socialist Party or PS [Georges LOUISOR]; Union for French Democracy or UDF [Marcel ESDRAS]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Christian Movement for the Liberation of Guadeloupe or KLPG; General Federation of Guadeloupe Workers or CGT-G; General Union of Guadeloupe Workers or UGTG; Movement for Independent Guadeloupe or MPGI

Population

440,189 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

1% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Basse-Terre, Gustavia (on Saint Barthelemy), Marigot, Pointe-a-Pitre

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

113,000 (1997)

Railways

NA km; privately owned, narrow-gauge plantation lines

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, Hindu and pagan African 4%, Protestant 1%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

under 15 years

1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

domestic facilities inadequate

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay to Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Martinique

Telephones - main lines in use

171,000 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular

NA

Television broadcast stations

5 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

118,000 (1997)

Terrain

Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin

Total fertility rate

1.92 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

27.8% (1998)

Waterways

none